Meaningful communication: Advocating for the wishes and feelings of young people with disabilities

This two part course take place over 8 and 15 October 2026, 10:00-12:00

Please note: this is not non instructed advocacy training, which is covered in a separate course

This training is suitable for advocates who work with a range of different young people, including those with learning difficulties and additional communication needs.

At Coram Voice we know that all young people have a right to be consulted on decisions being made about their lives. However, some young people with disabilities will need additional support and adjustments, in order to fully understand these decisions and communicate their wishes and feelings.

This training will provide an opportunity to reflect on the challenges for professionals of communicating meaningfully with young people who have disabilities, learning difficulties or additional communication needs, and the role of an advocate in supporting this communication. There will be space for participants to think about adapting their own language or communication style to meet the needs of different young people. We will also explore some of the tools that could be used to elicit wishes and feelings from young people with disabilities, as well as good practice in creating wishes and feelings reports on their behalf.

There will be various interactive small group activities throughout the workshops, such as  case studies, games and role plays: so be ready to try out your skills in practice!

Important notes:

• To ensure you are able to participate fully in the session, we ask that you are able to commit to one hour for completing pre reading/activities prior to each session. Please do not sign up if you are unable to set this time aside during the few days prior to each workshop. Reading and resources will be sent in advance and you will be asked to bring this along to the event.

• Participants must attend both sessions.

• Joining instructions will be distributed once places are confirmed.